The temperatures are cooling down, but the winter sports schedule is heating up.
Team Canada’s ski jumpers, long track speed skaters, and slopestyle and alpine skiers will all contest World Cup events around the world this weekend. Meanwhile, figure skating fans will be eager to tune in for Canadians taking to the ice at the final ISU Grand Prix of the season—the Cup of China.
Here’s what you don’t want to miss.
Six Canadian figure skaters will travel to Chongqing, China for the sixth ISU Grand Prix of the season—the Cup of China. This is the final stop on the series before the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which will take place in early December in France.
In ice dance, Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha will hunt for another podium finish, having taken silver at Skate Canada International. Though there are several scenarios at play, a top two placement in China would likely secure their spot in the ISU Grand Prix Final for the second straight season.
Pairs skaters Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud will be looking to build from their fifth place finish at the Grand Prix de France. Two-time Canadian champion Madeline Schizas, who finished fifth at Skate Canada International, is seeking two more solid programs which could put her into a podium position. Reigning national champion Wesley Chiu will look to improve upon his ninth place finish at Skate America.
The first stop on the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup circuit will take place this weekend in Lillehammer, Norway, at the venue of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
Though it is the first stop of the 2024-25 season, athletes will be jumping off snow held over from last season, as organizers had the foresight to stockpile snow in case of warm weather for the early season stop.
Olympic bronze medallists Alexandria Loutitt and Abigail Strate will headline Team Canada. Loutitt, the 2023 world champion, finished third overall in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup rankings last season.
READ: Ski jumpers Abigail Strate and Alexandria Loutitt are making their dreams take flight
The mixed team event will take place on Friday, November 22, followed by men’s and women’s large hill events on Saturday and Sunday.
Seventeen Canadian speed skaters will race this weekend at the ISU World Cup season opener in Nagano, Japan. Team Canada also raced in Japan last weekend, claiming 12 medals at the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships, and will seek to add some additional hardware this weekend.
Just some of the key players on the stacked team include, on the women’s side, Ivanie Blondin, who notched four medals last weekend, Isabelle Weidemann, and Valérie Maltais. On the men’s side, Laurent Dubreuil was triple medallist last weekend, and Graeme Fish snagged gold in the 5000m.
READ: Long track speed skater Ivanie Blondin isn’t afraid to try new things
Some of Team Canada’s top technical skiers will take on the FIS Alpine World Cup in Gurgl, Austria this weekend, with the women’s slalom taking place on Saturday, followed by the men’s slalom on Sunday.
Laurence St-Germain will look to build on the momentum of her 10th place finish at the first women’s slalom World Cup event of the season, which took place last weekend in Levi, Finland. Amelia Smart and Ali Nullmeyer also raced in Levi. Smart took 23rd place, while Nullmeyer had the 12th-fastest first run, but was not able to finish the second run.
READ: Team Canada’s top alpine skiers ready to take on the world’s best in 2024-25
Canadian slopestyle skiers will compete in Stubai, Austria this weekend at the first FIS World Cup of the season for their discipline. Qualification rounds originally scheduled for Thursday were postponed to Friday due to weather.
On the men’s side, Team Canada will be represented by Mark Hendrickson, Jeremy Gagne, Aidan Mulvihill, Max Moffatt, and Noah Porter MacLennan. On the women’s side, Olivia Asselin, Megan Oldham and Skye Clarke will represent Canada.
Oldham, a three-time medallist at the FIS World Championships and seven-time medallist at the Winter X Games, is returning after missing last season due to injury.
READ: Canadian freestyle skiers have another season of big success in their sights for 2024-25
